Page:Select Popular Tales from the German of Musaeus.djvu/142

128 door to and bolted it carefully, scolding and abusing the boisterous guests who had disturbed her dwelling, and had made away with her beloved pet animal. “Catch my cat! you creatures,” screamed she from within, “or don’t take it into your heads to pass my door.”

The three comrades looked hesitatingly on each other as to what they were to do. “The witch!” murmured Andiol between his teeth, “has she not mocked us long enough, that she now scolds and threatens? Shall a woman befool three men? By the shade of Roland, that shall not be! Let us break down the door, and quarter ourselves here like good soldiers.” Amarin agreed; but the wise Sarron said, “Bethink you, brothers, of what you do; the attempt may have an evil issue; I suspect there are wonderful things here; let us punctually obey the commands of our hostess; if our patience does not tire, her humour for jeering us will tire. This good counsel was taken, and immediately a general chase for Grimalkin began, but he had flown into the wood, and was not to be discovered in the dark night. For, although his eyes sparkled as brightly as the eyes of the pet cat of Petrarch, whose light served the poet as a lamp, by which to inscribe an immortal sonnet to Laura,—the Pyrenean Grimalkin appeared to have the humour of his mistress to jeer the three wanderers, and either blinked studiously with his eyes, or turned them so that they did not betray him. Yet the wily Sarron knew how to catch him. He understood the art of mewing so well, that the anchorite of the wood, who had taken refuge in an oak-tree, was deceived by it, and immediately replied.

As soon as the miauling cat betrayed himself by his voice, the ambushed squire was at hand, surprised him and brought the entrapped fugitive in triumph to the entrance of the cave in the rock, which was now no longer blockaded. Highly delighted, the three squires entered, in company with the strayed Penates, curious to make the acquaintance of their hostess; but they shuddered with dismay when they perceived a living skeleton—a dry and very old hag. She wore a long gown, held in her hand a bough of mistletoe, and touched with it, in a solemn manner, the new comers, while she welcomed them and forced them to sit down to a furnished table, on which a frugal meal of milk, meat, roasted chestnuts, and fresh fruits were served up. No pressing was necessary; the hungry guests fell upon the provisions like ravening wolves, and, in a short time, the dishes were so effectually emptied, that no dainty mouse would have found enough of the remains to satisfy itself. Sarron exceeded his two table companions in his haste to appease his stomach, for he imagined there would be yet another course, where the hedgehog ragout would make its appearance, which he intended to leave to his companions alone; but, as the mistress of the house produced nothing more, he believed that she had saved this dainty bit for